whoops, dragged down, pulled for four backward of square, miserable end to a miserable performance from the West Indies
South Africa vs West Indies, 3rd ODI at East London, Jan 21 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary
South Africa won by 9 wickets (with 152 balls remaining)
That wraps it up from East London. The series is wrapped up already but still two matches to come, the next on Sunday in Port Elizabeth, a day game so 10am start local time, see you then...
Good job we got the chase done when we did because the rain has really arrived now and we would definitely be unable to play in this - a perfectly timed chase you could call it!
Presentation, which has nipped indoors, will be interesting. Who's today's Man of the Match? Vernon Philander perhaps for his very smart bowling and three wickets. We shall see...indeed it is Philander.
AB de Villiers: "I'm very very happy with the performance today. We've said in the knockout stages of the world cup you've got to win three in a row and we've done that here. There were a couple of soft wickets. Anything over 200 would have been a good score today. For them, it's just about learning and moving on from this experience. They are a world class team with world class players so to prove to ourselves we can win three in a row is very important. If you looked at the deck you would say it wouldn't suit Vernon Philander but the way he bowled was fantastic. It's important to have a look at everyone and we want to get all the guys in good form so we'll definitely give everyone a go in the last two games."
Poor Jason Holder has go to put some words to another miserable display: "We batted poorly no other way to sum it up. We just kept losing wickets. Very disappointed. We didn't make amends here for Sunday. We need to show pride in the last two games now. Our seniors players haven't stepped up here but I still back them because they've done it for a numbers of years. The wicket was a little slow but there was nothing wrong with it. I can promise some improvement for Port Elizabeth."
James: "On this showing (admittedly against a very good SA team) WI could easily get turned over by Zimbabwe or Ireland in the World Cup."
The wicket was a little slow but there was no obvious help for the bowlers. West Indies, having elected to bat first, never got to grips with the surface and a series of impatient strokes saw them whittled away in the face of some decent, but far from destructive, bowling. 122 was an embarrassing score and South Africa have had no troubles knocking off the runs in less than half their allocation. Just 59.2 overs bowled in this 100-over match today.
Complete dominance from South Africa today, they have romped to a nine-wicket victory and wrap up the series 3-0 still with two rubbers to come. The sweep is on and on this showing you can't see anything other than a 5-0. South Africa on a different level here with West Indies playing dreadful cricket and deservedly smashed.
few inches outside off, skids on a little, cut straight to extra-cover
tossed right up on the stumps, tucked with the angle through square leg
length on off stump, flicked straight to short midwicket
Four to win, final over here surely. Chris Gayle going to bowl it...
fuller and driven wide enough of mid-off for a quick single and du Plessis now goes to fifty from 69 balls, he's got much better as this innings has gone on
good length on the stumps, calmly blocked back to the bowler
length just outside off, careful angled to third man
slides into the pads, this is touched down to long leg
back of a length, slower ball, picked and pulled through midwicket, well timed, four more
full on the off stump, driven to mid-on
Couple of blows takes us to the bar now...
better length and just defended back up the wicket
more air, flicked to mid-on who's a touch deep but still able to save one here
drops the length shorter, Amla cuts wide of the sweeper and they can get back for the second as Russell runs to his left
more middle and off now, forward block back up the wicket
fuller on the leg stump, clipped out to deep midwicket
tad short outside off, cut straight to deep cover
slower ball, low full toss, driven straight to mid-off
length just outside off, dropped into the gully
short ball, pulled off a big top edge, flies down towards Taylor at long leg, he comes around to his left and drops the chance! Another misjudgement, reaching, diving in the end to his left with two hands and the ball went straight through them and bobbled into the rope
cutter, waited for and nudged up to mid-off this time